Jimmy Carter And Bob Dylan Had An Unexpected Friendship

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The death of former President Jimmy Carter, on December 29, 2024, has sparked nationwide reflection on not only his leadership qualities but his human side as well. It's widely known that Carter, who served one term between 1977 and 1981, cared deeply about the American people and headed up various charitable initiatives inside and outside the office. Carter's support of Habitat for Humanity has been especially well-documented. However, Carter also took time to nurture his personal relationships and friendships. 

Interestingly enough, Carter procured friendships with some of the time's most prominent names in music, including Willie Nelson, James Brown, and The Allman Brothers, to name a few. Carter's unlikely proximity to rock royalty eventually led to 2020's "Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President," a documentary covering Carter's affiliation with the top rockers who helped push him into the White House. "I was practically a non-entity," shared Carter during a scene (via The Guardian). He said, "But everyone knew the Allman Brothers. When they endorsed me, all the young people said, 'Well, if the Allman Brothers like him, we can vote for him.'" 

Among Carter's most notable friends was legendary musician Bob Dylan, which while beneficial for Carter, was more profound than a push for political power.

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Jimmy Carter's first time meeting Bob Dylan was long before he entered the White House. "Bob Dylan's band performed in Atlanta when I was governor, so I invited Bob Dylan and his band to the governor's mansion," said Carter in "Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President" (via The Daily Beast). "And my sons were very eager to be with the band, and I was honored because Bob Dylan asked me to go out in the garden, as a matter of fact, and have a conversation with him." According to Carter, Dylan asked him about Christian values, saying, "Basically the principles of it." Eventually, as the publication points out, Dylan would convert to Christianity because of Carter's influence, although he's since practiced several other religions.

Dylan, who also appeared in the documentary, shared his perspective on that meeting. "When I first met Jimmy, the first thing he did was quote my songs back to me. And that was the first time that I realized my songs had reached into basically the establishment," he said (via Ultimate Classic Rock). "I had no experience in that world.  He put my mind at ease by not talking down to me and showing me he had a sincere appreciation of the songs I had written," Dylan added. 

He said of Carter, "He was a kindred spirit to me of a rare kind. The kind of man you don't meet every day and you're lucky to if you ever do."

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From there, the would-be friends cultivated a bond that endured for more than 40 years, prior to Carter's death. Over the years, they publicly uplifted each other during pivotal moments in their life. One of the most recent occurred in 2015 when Carter presented Dylan with the Musicares' "Person of The Year" award. According to Stereo Gum, the award ceremony occurred on February 6 of that year, and featured performances from the likes of The Black Keys and Jack White, to name a few. 

Meanwhile, Dylan was not short of positive things to say about Carter during "Rock & Roll President" "Oh, it's impossible to define Jimmy," said Dylan. "I think of him as a simple kind of man, like in the Lynyrd Skynyrd song. He takes his time, doesn't live too fast. Troubles come, but they will pass. Find a woman and find love. And don't forget there's always someone above. There's many sides to him. He's a nuclear engineer, woodworking carpenter. He's also a poet. He's a dirt farmer. If you told me he was a race car driver, I wouldn't even be surprised," Dylan said of his friend.